1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic kaleidoscopic apparatus which can supply picked-up image information with special image effects, particularly effects attained by a kaleidoscope.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a kaleidoscope which is employed as a toy or the like is in the form of a polygonal tube having a plurality of mirrors provided with inwardly directed reflecting surfaces, so that an image having a prescribed pattern is arranged on one side of the tube to be observed from the other side.
Therefore, it is impossible to reflect the observer of such a kaleidoscope in the image, for example.
While it is possible to cause interreflection through the mirrors for forming various patterns, the patterns can be changed only by a method of changing the object image.
On the other hand, there have been proposed various apparatuses for supplying picked-up image information with special effects by employing video signals as inputs. Such a video special effect apparatus can invert the overall image or implement cross-dissolve or wipe-off effects for smoothly switching two scenes, for example.
In the conventional kaleidoscope having the aforementioned structure, it is impossible to form a kaleidoscopic pattern with movement of a part of the observer's body or an object in his hand, for example. In relation to rehabilitation for a physical handicap or the like, expected is improvement of the rehabilitative effects through group work of a plurality of persons. In this group work, images of a plurality of persons having prescribed patterns in their hands respectively may be picked up by a video camera and projected on a screen, so that the persons can form an integrated pattern on the screen in cooperation with each other.
If the picked-up images are simply projected on the screen as such, however, there is a limit in improvement of the difficulty of the group work, and it is difficult to attract the interest of the persons in work. If the aforementioned kaleidoscopic patterns can be projected on the screen, it is advantageous for solving such problems.
In relation to background images for a dance performed on the stage or the like, for example, only images irrelevant to the dance can be presented or only monotonous images such as those displaying movement merely changing color tones of persons or the like can be formed in general.
Also in this case, it is possible to attain stage effects attracting the audience's interest if a complex geometric pattern can be displayed in synchronization with the dance or the like.